Kurenai Ketsuekigasu
|affiliation = Ketsuekigasu Clan |occupation = |family = Ketsuekigasu Clan|classification = S-rank Missing Nin|hiden = Yuudoku Ketsueki|nature = |jutsu = Yin Healing Wound Destruction Technique|weapons = Tetsugen (てつげん, lit. "Iron String'")}} '''Ketsuekigasu Kurenai' (黒血姫, Kurenai Ketsuekigasu, lit. "Crimson Blood Agent") is an assassin and a member of the Ketsuekigasu ninja clan. She has been trained and conditioned since birth to be a weapon, and her great beauty is only slightly less famous than her accomplishments as a hunter of kekkei genkai carriers. Appearance Kurenai appears to be a short teenaged girl with an unusually large bust and vibrant, loose-fitting clothing. Her bright eyes and quirky smile exude a dark intellect. Kurenai's youthful beauty is tempered by her unerring grace; every step she takes is dripping with latent eroticism. Her lustful appearance is as deadly a weapon as any other tool at her disposal, and she uses it with perfect precision and expertise. Kurenai favors light, loose-fitting clothing of a dark crimson hue. Such garments, she has explained, are useful for her occupation; her enemies are easier to eliminate when their eyes are on her body and not her hands, and bloodstains can be concealed on a red outfit. Personality "Kurenai" is just a persona that this ketsuikigasu ninja adopts, a disguise that changes according to necessity and occasion. To her allies and enemies alike, she can appear to be warm and kind, or cold and distant, or maniacally cruel, just depending on the advantages and benefits such charades impart on her, and how they advance her goals. In truth, she is a weapon, a tool, and her discipline is honed to a deadly sharpness- as any weapon should be. She has been thoroughly indoctrinated into the practices and network of the ketsuikigasu clan; Kurenai perceives its members as family, and although her conception of familial devotion is muted, she follows its leaders' commands unquestionably. She would die for their cause, without knowing the full cost of her sacrifice. The emotions that confuse Kurenai the most are sincerity and honesty. Her ninja training and preparations as an assassin neglected to teach her about feeling emotions, or creating connections with other people. As she lacks a foundation of her own, she is incapable of understanding the personal feelings of other people, and instead interprets their affections as ploys and methods of control and manipulation. To her, "love" is not an emotion, but a condition or a declaration of intent. Relationships Kurenai is a devoted agent of the Ketsuekigasu clan, and completes its objectives and orders with efficiency and professionalism. Her clan is loosely associated with ANBU, and occasional hunter-ninja perform joint missions alongside Kurenai to capture or eliminate more dangerous targets. After capturing the rogue samurai Tenchuu Yagami, Kurenai assisted him in his recovery as they returned to the land of water. Although she originally viewed him as an enemy, his dedication and honesty have caught her entirely by surprise. She doesn't yet realize it, but Kurenai has begun falling in love with the young swordman. Kurenai and Tenchuu have since joined the reborn Akatsuki. They intend to use the resources and influence of this organization as a platform for causing a civil war in the land of water and destroying the Yagami clan. Kurenai only follows the commands of this terrorist cell only insofar as is required of her- she has no loyalty to their cause, merely seeing it as yet another stepping stone towards realizing her own goals. History Kurenai is the first born daughter of the Ketsuekigasu clan. Her life was never easy, or one filled with affection. Her father saw her as little more than a possession, a tool for realizing his own dreams. Her mother was one of countless prostitutes that constituted her father's harem, and so Kurenai was never sure of her mother's true identity among them. Kurenai didn't even receive a real name until the age of eight, on completion of her first assassination mission. Kurenai began receiving special conditioning from the moment of her birth. Her father gave her transfusions of his own blood, to pass on the nature of his bloodline to her. In time, her blood began to share the special chakra-channeling characteristics of his own. It was at this point, that her true training began. Kurenai's early training was rigorous, with an emphasis on ninja basics. Physical conditioning, chakra exercises, terminology and mental development constituted majority of her free time. She quickly graduated to combat techniques, medical training, gates training, and practice exercises at the age of five. By the age of 9, she was deemed skilled enough to perform her first mission. 'First Mission' In the wake of the fourth ninja world war, many shinobi abandoned the weakened hidden villages in pursuit of wealth, glory, and power... most of them became little more than hired blades, or worse still, dangerous and violent criminals. Tessai, a traitorous earth-nin, was reknowned for his cruelty, and was wanted in many countries for the mass murders he'd committed. A substantial bounty was placed on his head, and countless hunter nin attempted to slay the demon, but all they collected was a grisly demise. Tessai was invulnerable to the arms and weapons of shinobi. He possessed a special Kekkei Genkai which allowed his skin to become harder than steel, and coarse like a stone. He did, however, have a weakness... for children. The depraved lunatic often abused children in the villages he frequented, and it was determined that he gave up his supernal defenses while doing so. The Ketsuekigasu clan gave this special mission to Kurenai. By slipping beneath his notice, by playing the role of a child victim, she would be able to exploit Tessai in his moment of weakness and deliver a deadly poison. Things didn't go as planned. When Tessai began his assault, she was unable to repress her fear and disgust. She fought back to protect herself, slightly injuring him in the process. Her ninja training exposed, the enraged missing nin came to realize her deception. In instants, Tessai resumed his stony exterior, and drew his weapon- a massive steel fuuma shuriken. With a single mighty heave, his bladed weapon sliced through the interiors of the inn, slaughtering countless innocents in its gory wake. Thanks to Kurenai's small size, she was able to evade his attacks with the fuuma shuriken... but the young assassin couldn't possibly compete with his speed and might at close range. His massive strength and body easily overpowered her. Kurenai collapsed in pain and exhaustion. Her apparent weakness incited Tessai's passions anew... and he attempted to injure her in a different way. In an act born of desperation, Kurenai's blood boiled out of the front of her body, ruptured her chest, and seeped through the cracks of the earth-demon's shell. A webwork of thousands of needles were formed within Tessai, penetrating his internal organs and lacerating his heart. With one last, blood-filled gasp, Tessai shuddered and died on top of her. For completion of this B-rank mission, and because of the circumstances of her victory, she received recognition as a shinobi, and the name "Kurenai". To this day, Kurenai represses her emotions, seeing them only as a liability that can kill her. 'The Rise of Fuyuki' Kurenai worked alongside Tenchuu Yagami and Fuyuki's forces to overthrow Mei Terumi, slay the water daimyo and place Fuyuki over water as both Kage and Daimyo. The campaign was a long, bloody affair. Many innocent merchant clans and trade routes were ravaged in order to erode Mei's financial base and foment bad will. During the battle of Kirigakure, Kurenai and Tenchuu faced off against Kenshin Yagami then current head of the Yagami clan and a bodyguard to Mei Terumi. It was a climactic battle, and Kurenai and Tenchuu fought admirably, but would have still been overwhelmed if not for the timely appearance of Ketsuekigasu's clan head. He struck a lethal blow to Kenshin Yagami, fulfilling his vow for vengeance. Revealing his plans to betray Fuyuki and take the throne of Water Country for himself, he assaulted the weakened Tenchuu and Kurenai. Kenshin Yagami, in the ultimate act of forgiveness, protected them as he bled to death. The three barely defeated the clan head, and Kenshin Yagami lay dying. Sensing remorse in Tenchuu Yagami, he entrusted the two halves of his sacred blade to his successor. In the weeks that followed, Fuyuki ravaged the forces that had sided with Mei, casting them out of water and establishing his rule. It was a bloody uprising, and he ruled with violence, instilling fear in his enemies and subjects alike. But by then, Tenchuu and Kurenai had already quietly left for another place... 'Exile in Whirlpool' Kurenai's ability to produce her clan's signature blood was lost during her battle against Kenshin; maintaining the gates release for so long led her to overheat, eventually resulting in cell death in her bloodstream. Her hiden was lost for good. With the clan head defeated, her last bond to the Ketsuekigasu clan was severed. Tenchuu likewise had no tie to water. With the exile of the remaining Yagami clan and Kenshin's death, his life goals were fulfilled- and yet he was filled with a sense of regret. The two ventured to leave Kirigakure, to seek out a place where they could find a future... a place free form the conflicts of the ninja world. During their voyage out of Kirigakure, they crashed upon the deserted island of whirlpool. Ravaged by time, the elements and the battles that destroyed it, the island yet remained. Surrounded by the ruins of her ancestors, Kurenai found her peace. Together with Tenchuu, Kurenai bore their son, Ryujin. Her two twins followed a few years later. But of course, not all of their time was spent living peacefully. They also trained. Kurenai steadily advanced her skill with the gate release, and through the records of her clan's ancestors rediscovered their lost medical arts. During one such expedition into the deep ruins, she found a strange tablet covered with tiny channels in a complicated array of spiraling seals. The strange stone seemed to radiate heat, and the faint residue of long-decayed blood filled the crevices in its surface. Over time, as she researched this relic she came to recognize it as the origin seal for the Ketsuekigasu clan's Kekkei Genkai. With Tenchuu's assistance, she was able to undergo a ritual that drained her blood from her body into the array. While she hovered on the edge of death, Tenchuu powered the tablet, and it glowed with vibrant red energy. Her blood was forcibly modified by the energies and seals, and each cell mutated to gain a tenketsu. After drawing her blood back into her body, Kurenai was resurrected as a blood nin once more. With her clan's hiden now in her possession as a true kekkei genkai, she awakened new abilities more powerful than she could have every imagined. 'A Message from Water' A refugee vessel from the land of water become trapped upon the reefs around whirlpool. The occupants were starving, malnourished. Many showed evidence of injuries from elemental releases, even of torture. Most were fragmented members of families. A child here, a mother there. Bound together by their desperate bid for survival, the refugees had ventured into open sea on the overcrowded fishing vessel to escape the madness of Muzai. After explaining that Muzai had overthrown Fuyuki and was committing mass genocide upon the civilians of water, Kurenai and Tenchuu gave up their isolated lifestyle and reconciled to save water. Partly out of a sense of obligation for their past mistakes, and partly out of sympathy for the plight of the people of the land, Kurenai and Tenchuu left their children upon the deserted isle in the care of the refugees and returned to the land of Water. Abilities Kurenai is a cunning warrior, and typically employs multiple ingenious strategies simultaneously to defeat her opponent, only relying on brute force and direct combat when her other plans aren't sufficient to eliminate or capture her target. Deception, disinformation, and distraction are her favorite tools. 'Martial Ability' Swordsmanship Specialist : Kurenai is highly skilled with a variety of weapons, but her primary focus revolves around her use of the kodachi and the Ketsuekigasu clan's speciality weapon, the tetsugen. The small size of her weapons makes them easy to conceal and retrieve. She favors the reach and versatility of the tetsugen over the kodachi, only relying on the latter in close-quarters combat where wielding the tetsugen would be impractical. Martial Arts Mastery: Kurenai's natural grace and swiftness make her an extraordinary contender in the martial arts. She has learned to use her entire body, in a wondrous display of speed and agility, to overwhelm and disorient her opponents. Kurenai strikes instantly, as if from nowhere, and imperceptibly chains one kick or punch into another, making her assault appear to be an unpredictable cascade of blows. Observers of her fighting style claim she flows or dances through the battlefield like some type of blood covered performer. 'Physical Prowess' Immense Speed: '''Kurenai's lithe frame and flexibility, coupled with her strong survival instincts and nigh-supernatural reflexes make her an incredibly fast warrior. She is able to dance and weave between her enemies' blows as gently as a cloud floating in the breeze, all while her attacks rain down like the torrent of a thunderstorm. '''Enhanced Strength: Kurenai's small body isn't intimidating, but thanks to her thorough physical conditioning and liberal use of chakra enhanced-strength, Kurenai is able to contend with extremely strong ninja on even terms. Enhanced Endurance: Kurenai's has been raised to withstand immense damage and pain. Everything from storing lethal poisons inside her organs, to torture and self-inflicted injuries, and even near-death from blood loss are all experiences that have hardened her mind to physical pain. Kurenai is able to fall back on her mental and hypnotic conditioning to drown out the agony for all but the most lethal of wounds. 'Chakra & Nature Transformation' Yin-Yang Release:'' ''Kurenai is only able to use Yin-Yang type chakras for the formation of her jutsu. Gate Release : Kurenai was taught how to release the first two gates as part of the her ninja training as a child. By extending her training and research of these techniques, she has learned how to unlock the third gate. She is loathe to unleash the gates in combat, preferring to engage in hit-and-run tactics as opposed to brute force. Nonetheless, her mastery of the three-gate release has given her a substantial edge over more powerful opponents. Ninja whom have seen her perform the gate release in extended battles have noticed that she is able to maintain the release for an abnormally long time. Some suspect she has discovered a secret technique or ability related to the gates' release, but Kurenai has not been forthcoming with details. Elemental Impairment: Carriers of yuudoku ketsueki are incapable of utilizing elemental release jutsu of any kind. The secondary chakra network imparted by this hiden is only able to regulate the flow of yin-yang chakras, and creates a large amount of interference with other chakra types. This lack of chakra control over elemental chakra types makes it impossible for carriers of this hiden to form elemental jutsu. 'Hiden & Jutsu' Genjutsu: Kurenai is a master manipulator and genius in the use of genjutsu. Her sadistic tendencies and outlier view on personalities enhance her ability to instill fear and confusion in her opponents. A common tactic Kurenai employs is to use her genjutsu to separate enemies or turn them against eachother. Yuudoku Ketsueki: Yuudoku ketsueki (ゆうどく'けつえき, lit. "toxic blood"), is a blood-borne hiden that all Ketsuekigasu clan members of blood type O possess. Each individual blood cell in the carrier's body contains a chakra coil, and and this enables his blood to channel chakra in the same manner as tenketsu. This ability was originally possessed as a kekkei genkai by the previous Ketsuikigasu clan, prior to the Bloody Mist years, but it seems that the founder of this new clan was able to grant it to his descendents in the form of a hiden. Carriers of yuudoku ketsueki are able to transmit and release chakra through their blood and bloodstream, functionally granting them a secondary chakra network. This secondary network greatly increases their chakra control, and enables them to perform jutsu internally . By channeling yang chakra through their bodies, ketsuekigasu are able to heal their injuries and purify their bloodstreams of poisons and diseases. Doing so is a conscious activity, that requires a certain level of focus, but typically has better results than if the same healing techniques were being attempted on them by another shinobi. A more powerful, albeit dangerous, benefit of this technique is that the secondary chakra network of a yuudoku ketsueki carrier provides them with an aptitude for opening the eight gates. As they grow and develop, yuudoku ketseuki carriers are trained to practice discipline and to keep their emotions in check. As part of this training, all ketsuekigasu are taught how to open the first two gates. Those that fail to reign in their emotions during this training invariably release the gates and perish as a consequence. More experienced ketsuekigasu ninja sometimes advance their gates training, learning to open additional gates for greater bursts of power. If a carrier is in contact with any of their exposed blood, he can transmit chakra through it in the same manner as tenketsu. This allows carriers to expend greater quantities of chakra over a shorter span of time (if the need arises). This is typically used to create temporary bursts of speed and strength, but can also be used to rapidly create seals or traps using blood as a cataylist and reservoir for the necessary energies. If the blood of a yuudoku ketsueki carrier covers the tenketsu of another person, that person's tenketsu become blocked until the blood is removed. This can impair or even disable the formation of jutsu by that opponent. If more powerful jutsu are attempted while so covered, the impairment imparted by the blood can cause serious injuries and permanent damage to the opponent's tenketsu, as the buildup of energies becomes uncontrollable and wreaks havoc on the body. If the blood of a ninja or kekkei genkai user becomes polluted by the blood of a yuudoku ketsueki carrier, the foreign blood prevents them from controlling their chakra by creating large amounts of interference in their chakra network. This can impair, to outright prevent the use of jutsu or kekkei genkai depending on the concentration of the contaminant. Ketsuekigasu assassins typically target the main organs associated with the use of a particular kekkai genkai; they try to infect the eyes of their opponent if they are able to use dojutsu. *'Bloody Mist (けつえき きり):' This technique was feared during the era which was later named after it; it was used in battle by the original ketsuekigasu clan to murder bloodlines during the genocide. This technique requires large quantities of dried blood to function. The particles are released at once into the local atmosphere, creating a thick, red-tinted mist. While the blood particles act as a medium for the chakras of blood nin, they simultaneously act as a detriment to others; chakra control for any types of ranged techniques is vastly reduced. Ketsuekigasu ninja often use this mist as a means of performing jutsu at range from hiding, or to conceal their chakra signatures by creating phantom imprints. A secondary effect of this mist is that with every breath, the chakra control of enemy ninja is steadily reduced as these stray particles coat the interior walls of their lungs. *'Blood Reformation (けつえき かいしん):' Carriers of yuudoku ketsueki are able to change the viscosity, hardness, and shape of their blood, and use this to manufacture tools and weapons when ordinary ones are not available. Some Ketsuekigasu take this a step farther, and use blood-based weaponry exclusively. **'Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets (十指穿弾) :' Unlike the Kaguya technique of the same name, this variant instead fires projectile darts made of hardened blood at an incredible rate. Though these-blood darts lack the penetrating power of their bone counterparts, they have the added benefit of disintegrating in the wound, which delivers a powerful dose of the chakra-control disabling blood. **'Blood Clone (けつえきクローン):' Through careful construction and a special blood-letting technique, Kurenai is able to form a blood clone. Blood clones are intelligent, autonomous clones composed of blood, that perfectly resemble the body from which they are formed. They have the same chakra signature as the original, and follow the creator's orders to the best of their abilities. A blood clone has the same mental and physical capabilities as the original, knows the same techniques and jutsu, has its own chakra reserves, and is otherwise virtually identical to the original in every other respect. When a blood clone suffers a lethal injury, or when they receive a secret command, they explode outwardly in a torrent of blood, completely covering their immediate surroundings. A common strategy is to fill a blood clone with a mix of poisons and have it engage the enemy in close combat. **'Blood Seals (けつえき 印):' The chakra-channeling nature of the ketsuekigasus' special blood makes it an ideal material for its uses in fuinjutsu. By combining these inherent advantages with their blood reformation techniques, blood nin are able to create seals of great complexity in a fraction of the time and effort that is normally required. A common use of these blood seals by blood-nin is to store objects and tools within a seal, and then reabsorb the seal into their bloodstream. This allows large amounts of tools and equipment to be stored internally and undetectably. ***'Blood Wind (けつえき かぜ): '''Kurenai has invented a speed and strength enhancing body seal, modeled after the chakra-enhanced strength technique. The elaborate pattern of blood seals that surround her body are strategically positioned to enhance the release of chakra at key points. By expelling chakra through through these points, Kurenai is able to momentarily increase her speed and the strength of her attacks. The chakra expenditure necessary to power these seals makes extended use of this technique infeasible. *'Blood Puppetry (けつえき あやつり):' This technique supplants the blood of a fresh corpse or living person with Kurenai's own chakra-channeling blood. By transfusing her blood into the body, she's able to exert her control over the flow of the victim's chakra and their physical actions, (this temporarily reanimates the corpse). The victim retains control of his mind and is capable of speech, and in the case of a corpse, he also regains the sensations of his body and the memories he had in life. Kurenai must be "connected" to the victim via a chakra thread, a trail of blood, or some other chakra-channeling effect to maintain control. '''Solar Eclipse (にっしょく): This simple technique of Kurenai's invention is used to collect a quantity of yin and yang chakra in a limb on Kurenai's body, and unleashes it explosively to create a blinding flash of light, and then a short darkness. This jutsu does not require the use of hand seals, and requires a very low expenditure of chakra to perform. The range and luminosity (and subsequent darkness) of the effect can be enhanced in proportion to the chakra spent. 'Tools & Equipment' Blood Increasing Pill Exploding Tag Kodachi: Used as a secondary weapon for melee combat, this short weapon is unusual in that the blade is hollow. Concealed within a compartment in the hilt is a device that injects poison through the blade. The blade itself is composed of Kurenai's own hardened blood. A favorite tactic of Kurenai is to plunge her kodachi into a non-vital area on her opponent's body, inject the pioson, and sumultaneously disintigrate the blade. This tactic gives her opponent a double dose of deadly poison and her debilitating blood. Smoke Bomb: Kurenai uses these frequently to distract and surprise her opponents, and also as a delivery method for her aerosol poisons. Summoning Scrolls: Kurenai uses these to store extra blood to restore her reserves. She sometimes uses her own blood to create summoning seals, and then reabsorbs the seal to use at a later point. This strategy is useful to her in espionage, since it allows her to keep her resources on hand without arousing suspicion. Tetsugen (てつげん, lit. "Iron String'"): This iron wire ends with a hooked blade. A spring-operated wheel concealed in Kurenai's clothes allows her to rapidly extend or retract the wire. Kurenai often uses this function of the device to rapidly ascend or descend, or to lay ambushes. Though the hooked blade appears formidable, it does little damage on its own; the real physical threat is the wire itself. Extending outward from the wire are thousands of small barbes. By wrapping the wire around her opponents' limbs and drawing it taught, the wire can carve long, jagged gashes into their flesh. As an added threat, the exterior of the tetsugen is often soaked in poisons, which immediately enter the injury. It would be a mistake to assume the blade itself is harmless, however. The interior of the wire contains a small quantity of fresh blood, and the hook itself is composed of dried blood which has been reshaped and forged into the form of a blade. If the blade impales or penetrates her opponent, Kurenai channels chakra through the wire to cause the blade to disintigrate in the wound. This gives her opponent a big dose of her chakra-control and kekkai genkai disabling blood. Poisons: Kurenai employs many types of poisons, toxins, and biological agents in combat. Her favorites are poisons that influence the mental states of her opponents. *Atropine - Kurenai uses this in combination with her genjutsu for its psychoactive benefits. Effect: Increased and irregular hearbeat, dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, photosensitivity, loss of balance, confusion, hallucinations and coma. Type: Ingested or injected. Onset Time: One hour. *Cyanide - Kurenai uses both the contact and gas forms of this poison in combination with paracematol. The toxicity of cyanide results in an excrutiatingly slow and painful death. Effect: Muscle incoordination, convulsions, respiratory suppression, dizziness, headaches, asphyxiation. Type: Contact, injury, or inhaled. Onset Time: Ten Minutes. *Hydrofluoric Acid - This powerful contact poison is a great boon to Kurenai in combating the abilities of dojutsu. She employs both its gas and liquid forms. Effect: Severe tissue damage, severe pain, tissue death. Type: Contact, inhaled, injected, ingested or injury. Onset Time: Immediate. *Opioids - Kurenai employs many forms of opiate to great effect in influencing her opponents' mental states. This can assist her in interogating enemies and leads. Effect: Painkiller, sedative, respiratory suppression, instills euphoria. Type: Ingested or inhaled. Onset Time: Ten Minutes. *Paracematol - Kurenai typically employs this in combination with slow-acting, lethal poisons. Her opponents become unable to feel the sensation of small injuries, and often overlook the effects of her later poisons. Effect: Causes liver damage or failure, and reduces pain sensations. Type: Injected, injury or ingested. Onset Time: Varies. Higher concentrations and heightened physical activity can increase the effects. *Venoms - Kurenai uses venom from the box jellyfish most commonly, for its intense effects. Effect: Extreme pain. Type: Contact, injected, ingested or injury. Onset Time: Immediate. *Warfarin - Kurenai usually takes this for herself, to improve blood flow and to avoid clotting in her arteries. Effect: Anticoagulant. Type: Ingested. Onset Time: 48 hours. Trivia *A common game that ketsuekigasu children participate in is called "hide and stab". The game revolves around a group of twelve children who hide, and a single knife-wielding seeker. If he finds one of the hiders, he attempts to stab him. Adult Ketsuekigasu ninja are very good at hiding. *Kurenai's appearance and bust aren't unusual among Ketsuekigasu females. To rapidly expand the size of his clan in a single generation, the founder had to marry numerous women... some who practiced less than honerable occupations beforehand. Behind the Scenes Kurenai was created out of a feeling of hatred for all who create overpowered and underdeveloped Kekkei Genkai using characters and yet still have the audacity to claim their characters are ninja. Ninja aren't defined by their jutsu, or their chakra natures, or their fighting spirit... the worth of a ninja lies in his cunning and his deceptions. To see underneath the underneath... I wish this was truly a creed that the ninjas of Naruto (canon OR fanon) would abide by.